Improvement in thill-couplings



` partly in section; Fig. 2, a

iNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. DAvIs, 0E KINGSTON, MICHIGAN.

IMPROVEMENT IN THlLL-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 142,2lll, dated August26, 1873 application led June 13, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE RILY DAVIs,

of Kingston, in the county of Tuscola and fto the axle of the vehicleand provided with a recessed or bifurcated front end, into which isinserted the rear end of a separate shacklebar, to which the thill-ironis pivoted by an ordinary fulcrum bolt, as heretofore, said shackle-barbeing provided with lateral curved grooves or channels, which, whenproperly arranged iu respect to projecting studs on the clip-bar, willenable the shackle bar to be readily inserted, and then by moving thesame downward, or in the arc of a circle, and inserting a spring-key,the shafts are retained firmly in position without liability of casualdisengagement.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side view, plan view; and Figs. 3 and 4,detached views.

. The clip bar or plate A, for connecting the shafts to the aXle, isprovided with a seat, B, at its, rear end, for the receptionof the axle,to which it is secured by a clip or yoke, C, as shown. The front of saidclip-bar A is recessed or bifurcated, as shown at D, and has formed onboth of its inner-side surfaces studs or cylindrical projections E,which are adapted for insertion into grooves or channels F formed on theshank portion of a separate shackle-bar, II. The grooves F are madecurved or arc-shaped, and their upper ends are so shaped that when theshackle-,bar is in a vertical position and arranged in proper relationto the clip-plate the studs E on the latter are permitted to enter saidgroove, and then by turning the shackle-bar downward or into ahorizontal position, the studs are moved to the lower or curved ends ofthe grooves.

The vertical movement of the shackle-bar, when thus connected, isprevented by an upper overhanging ledge,`G, which acts as asupporting-surface, and the displacement in other directions avoidedgenerally by a key or pin, I, which is applied to the outer end of aspring-tongue, K, and projected through an opening formed in the side ofthe thill-iron into a hole, L, made in the shackle-iron, as,

The thill-iron on the rear end of the shown. thill itself is connectedto the shackle-bar by the usual jaw-clips, which are adapted for thereception of the thill-eye and transverse ful- Crum-bolt.

A coupling device constructed as above described will permit thills andpoles to be readily detached, and when connected to the axle presents astrong, durable, and reliable connection, dispensing with bolts and nutsliable to be broken or lost, and obviating the necessity of removing thefulcrum-bolts of the thills.

For detaching shafts or poles, which is generally desirable in stableson account of limited space, or for interchangeably using thills orpoles, it is only necessary to release the spring-key when theshackle-iron can be turned into a vertical position, causing the openends 'of the grooves or channels in the latter t0 pass,` the studs onthe thill-iron by simply drawing the shackle-bar forward, when it can bereadily detached.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. Theclip-plate A having an overhanging ledge, G, and studs E E, incombination with the slotted shackle-bar H having curved rccesses F F onthe sides of its reduced portion, all substantially as shown, for thepurpose specified.

, 2. In combination with the detachable shackle-bar H and clip-plate A,the springrod K having a pin, I, at its front end, all substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set ,my handthis 23d day of April, 1873.

GEORGE RILY DAVIS. Witnesses:

LAFAYETTE RANDALL, G. K. WENTwoETn.

